2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed: new all-action Arena revealed

The organisers of theGoodwood Festival of Speed have announced that the site will be revamped for 2019, with the highlight being a new Arena feature that will host a range of action-packed displays throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Opening on Thursday July 4, this year’s Festival of Speed will carry the theme “Speed Kings – Motorsport’s Record Breakers.” The 2019 Festival will celebrate all areas of outstanding achievement in racing, taking in everything from land-speed record cars to the very fastest racetrack monsters. It also marks 20 years since Nick Heidfeld claimed the outright hillclimb record at the wheel of the McLaren MP4/13, covering the 1.16-mile course in 41.6 seconds.

• Nurburgring lap record holders

That record remains unbeaten to this day, despite Volkswagen’s valiant effort of 43.8 seconds with its all-electric I.D. Pikes Peak racer in 2018 - though the potential for a new record being set in 2019 remains a very real possibility.

Michelin’s Supercar Paddock will return to Goodwood for 2019, but will be relocated from the Cathedral Paddock to the hillclimb start-line. The space made available at the Cathedral will be filled by the new Arena, which will let fans get closer than ever to the action with a range of drift events and stunt shows.

Other exhibitions includes a showcase of race cars with the most consecutive wins and a tribute to the most successful manufacturers in motorsport.

Goodwood’s recently-added Future Lab will return for 2019. This, together with the First Glance Paddock, will show off the most innovative technologies from the worlds of aerospace, robotics and autonomous transport, along with the latest offerings from the world’s automotive manufacturers.

The weekend will conclude with a shootout of the festival’s fastest cars. After three days of practise the event’s supercars, touring cars and electric cars, along with a range of specially commissioned hillclimb monsters, will battle it out in an attempt to break Nick Heidfeld’s hillclimb record.

Goodwood Festival of Speed: previous themes

Each year, the Goodwood Festival of Speed adopts a new theme. This year focuses on record breakers, but previous years have seen a broad range of things celebrated. Heres how the past few years have shaped up...